It’s been over a year since the OnePlus Pad was launched. OnePlus followed it up with a budget-friendly OnePlus Pad Go tablet. However, the upcoming OnePlus Pad 2 is worth waiting if you’re in the market for a new Android tablet. The OnePlus Pad Pro recently made a debut in China. The same tablet will launch as OnePlus Pad 2 globally on July 16. The leaked specifications make it seem like a powerful offering, but one area does leave a cause for concern and may turn into a disadvantage against its rivals.
There’s a 12.1-inch display boasting a 3000 x 2120 resolution, 900 nits of peak brightness, a 144Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision certification. However, there’s one notable caveat: it’s an LCD panel. While it’s a high-specced display, it still can’t catch up with OLED’s deep blacks, higher contrast, and vibrancy.
As much as you’d want Android tablets to go toe-to-toe with iPads, the OLED screens aren’t happening. So OnePlus still has a lot to catch up in the display department. Meanwhile, Xiaomi is preparing to unveil its Pad 7 series tablet with OLED screens in the coming months. It’ll be interesting since Xiaomi usually puts a price tag lower than OnePlus’s offerings. But that might change due to the OLED panels. We’ll wait and watch.
The OnePlus Pad was fairly well-received, offering a balanced set of features. However, it faced stiff competition in a crowded tablet market. People seeking the premium tablet experience gravitated toward the iPad, while Android enthusiasts with larger budgets preferred the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series. On the other end of the spectrum, those in search of value for their money found the Xiaomi Pad 6 and 6 Pro to be compelling options, offering impressive specs at lower prices.
Except for the name, the OnePlus Pad 2 will have most things nearly same as the OnePlus Pad Pro, with minor software adjustments for international markets. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor will power the new Pad 2. The OnePlus 12 houses the same chip. It’s a significant jump from the original Pad’s Dimensity 9000, making it one of the most powerful Android tablets.
It’s likely to come in four RAM and storage combinations: 8GB/128GB, 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB, and 16GB/512GB. To power this massive tablet, OnePlus houses 9,510mAh battery along with 67W fast wired charging, ensuring quick charging and easily lasting over a day of busy use.
For photography, the OnePlus Pad 2 would have a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. The design seems pretty similar to the previous generation. However, it appears to retain the same unusual 7:5 aspect ratio, which is a matter of personal preference; some may appreciate the wider screen, while others might prefer narrower displays like the one found on the Xiaomi Pad 6.
OnePlus Pad 2 will also accompany a new set of accessories, such as the OnePlus Stylo 2 stylus, Smart Keyboard, and Folio case. All of them will be sold separately as always.
OnePlus Pad Pro pricing in China starts at CNY 2,799, which roughly translates to $384.90. While Chinese pricing doesn’t always directly translate to global rates, we expect the OnePlus Pad 2 to cost similar to or slightly more than the previous iteration. It will be launched alongside the OnePlus Nord 4 5G, OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro, and OnePlus Watch 2R on July 16.
